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Monday, September 5, 2016

Block #4! Maggie's Dance Card is Getting Full!

Well, thank God for this sew along. Otherwise, I obviously would have no need to blog! Have I mentioned August is not my favorite month? And clearly I had nothing good to say. So let's hope September is better and this isn't the only time you'll be hearing from me!

One of the reasons I was only too happy to lend my blogging and sewing services to this sew along is that as a designer, I rarely have time to work with someone else's pattern. Between all the designs in my own head and trying to work on those, weed out those that don't work, get a few out into the world each year, and sharing them on the road with lectures and workshops, along with these other people living in my house and demanding attention, it's honestly a real treat to just follow someone else's lead for a bit, and of course to put my own little touch on it in the form of scrappiness!

The green/blue/purple/yellow theme continues with block #4!

And you know what else continues? My overarching lifetime theme of imperfectionism.

Nice job on that butterfly placement! Woo hoo!

You might wonder if I noticed the problem before I added the grey corner. You might not be at all surprised that yes, I did, but my next thought after an expletive was "What the heck ever." Sometimes butterflies fly just out of our sight. Let's pretend I wanted to get all philosophical with this block and the meaning of butterflies we just can't quite reach, rather than the true fact that I suck at applique placement.

In other imperfect news, I am still trying to decide if I should redo the purple in block #2 - top left in this photo.

True to my word at the beginning, I've kept it scrappy and used different greens, blues, purples, yellows, and even different greys and whites in each block. It's all being pulled from my scrap bins every month. My actual yardage stash is likely feeling very neglected. In any case, though, the purple in block #2 is a bit more on the maroon side than the rest of them. Can I live with it? I'm not, after all, one to stress over these things or be one with my seam ripper. I am, however, one to be obsessive about color sense, and I think I generally have a good one.This purple just might not work. But I'm willing to do some alternate blocks next month and see if I can settle it down a bit.

I'm sure you all have opinions. Feel free to share them. I may or may not take your advice or my own even, but it's always nice to have options and ideas.

This month's giveaway is sponsored by Deanne of Snuggles Quilts. Who doesn't love a snuggle?

Win three of her beautiful patterns just by entering! In the comments, to celebrate the end of my least favorite season and the beginning of my favorite, tell me what you are looking forward to most about this fall. If you hate fall, that's okay, but I hope you can find something to look forward to in the next few months or life will just be sad. Sad like half a butterfly. We don't want that.

I am looking forward to the turning of the leaves and being able to walk through them when they fall to the ground. I love that sound of the rustling leaves. I don't know what I would do about block 2 as I really don't like to have to take things out. I think that I would probably try to balance it out with a similar color in another block. I really like that you didn't rip out the dragonfly and reposition it after all in paintings sometimes they are about what is just off the canvas that you can't see.

I lIove your blocks just as they are, wouldn't change a thing. I am looking forward to fall, the promise of cooler days to come ( I live in southern Mississippi), the heat has been unbareable this year, but plenty of inside, in the AC, quilting to do. spierssusan52@gmail.com

I love the fall with all the fall colors and the crispness of the air. I enjoy the coming holidays and look forward to these the most with getting the family together to enjoy all the grandkids. Also, to completing all the quilt gifts for Christmas! Stanglvr2@aol.com

I am most looking forward to crisp, cooler temperatures this fall....I melt in the summer heat...and believe me I did alot of melting this summer (although you can't tell from looking at me...lol). Thank you for the laugh...I love (and envy) your take on imperfectionism. Would you be my new role-model?

The one thing I like about fall is the temperatures finally going down here in this Texas heat. I also look forward to the changing colors of the leaves. The main thing I am looking forward to this year is going to NYC for the first time in October and visiting my cousin.Krystal yasemin84@aol.com

Your blocks make me think that I don't use purple often enough! I like the change from summer to fall. The fall colours are so pretty and I like the cooler nights. If winter could hold off until December, I would be perfectly happy with that.

I totally agree with you about August....it just sucks! But Fall is coming....and I can't wait for the weather to change, the smells in the air, the festivals happening around... I love Fall!! Thanks for the giveaway! And I just love the colors of your Maggie quilt!! Its beautiful!

I am looking forward to the changing colors of fall, the arrival of apples, pears plums from the fruit trees, and especially this year, the cooler temps - away from the 90s we have endured this summer. dhardenburg (at) prodigy (dot) net

Love It, I get to go around the lake here at the house and pick up all the really cool Maple, Elm and any other beautiful red & orange leaves I can find. My husband laugh's at me cause I have probably at least 25-30 leaves in the process of being Modge Podged, to decorate the house. :) lol Thanks for the contest!

I love the fall, love the colors of fall, the cooler weather and Halloween. But I like something about each of the seasons. This year has been a busy travel year, but things are winding down and I can sit and sew!

I enjoy being outside with less mosquitoes! ha! (I live in the south) Mostly what I look forward too is more family time around Halloween and Thanksgiving. I love that our house is filled with the wonderful aroma of pumpkin pie and the sound of laughter.

Here Downunder we are moving into Spring -- my favourite season, especially my home town of Toowoomba which is known as the Garden City. So much colour in the gardens and parks one can't help but be inspired and motivated to stitch, stitch, stitch!,, Happy stitching wherever you maybe -- Nanna Ray

I love the cooler weather in OK in the fall. It's been very HOT in OK this year. Even though I love pastels, I enjoy seeing the beautiful fall colors. There is a Forest Festival 30 miles from my hometown. It was always fun to go to the parade and see the excitement of welcoming fall. It was hot marching in a wool band uniform years later. I also like the increased interest I usually have in crafting.

I love fall for several reasons including the following: in the south we finally start to see cool weather, my birthday is in the fall, beautiful leaves, the smells of fall like ripe grapes on the vine, and beautiful sunsets.

I love Fall! I love the clear, crisp colors of the sky and trees. I always get a strong homey feeling. To me Fall is a time of beginning and waking, lazy waking! Two of my children were born in Fall, and I love Thanksgiving.Thank you for the giveaway opportunity.Janieisabellaswhimsy@yahoo.comisabellaswhimsy(at)yahoo(dot)com

School is starting and the garden is ready to harvest. It is time for shelves full of salsa and canned tomatoes. I love the white pumpkin I have growing and the sound of the trumpeter swans flying overhead. I am sad to see summer end, but can't wait for halloween!

School is starting and the garden is ready to harvest. It is time for shelves full of salsa and canned tomatoes. I love the white pumpkin I have growing and the sound of the trumpeter swans flying overhead. I am sad to see summer end, but can't wait for Halloween!

I like fall, but don't love it. I look forward to the cooler temperatures and lower humidity. The crunchy leaves are fun to walk through on our evening walks, but not fun to collect in the backyard. (We have tons of leaves!) I enjoy the lovely colors of the trees along the bluffs of the Mississippi River too!

We are heading in to Spring in New Zealand but the thing I like about fall (we call it autumn) is walking through the lovely coloured autumn leaves in parks and just seeing the beauty of autumn colours.

I love your color choices and think your blocks are lovely. I had a giggle about your butterfly but hey, not all the butterflies are an inch above the flower. I think it's great! I'm looking forward to some cooler weather. It's been over 100 here several times and the heat wears me out. Cooler weather and my grandson's sixth birthday are two things I can't wait for.

I look forward to the cool breezes, the colder mornings, the change of color in the hills and mountains, the smell of harvest, the ringing of recess bells, the smell of pumpkin pie...I love fall!!! Thank you for the giveaway!

Fall, my favorite time of the year. I love the cooler temps with less humidity, the scents, the colors and cleaning up the yard-even raking leaves.

I would say wait before doing anything with block 2. You might find that it will be fine when all blocks are said and done. If not, you can make a new one and keep the old one as an orphan block for something else.

Fall is my favorite time of year - cooler temps and less humidity, not to mention all the local craft festivals.Your choices for the blocks are wonderful - don't worry about the butterfly wings - just add another wing on top :)

I am looking forward to our vacation - 3vweeks in Europe including a 19 day cruise. We leave in just 2 days - hurray! Unfortunately, it will be 3 weeks of no sewing but there really won't be time for it anyway in our busy schedule.

Am loving your blocks so far. What I am looking forward to this fall? Football ... football ... football ... and wearing sweatshirts. That and moving into a new place with no leaks. It's the small simple things that excite me. There will be plenty of quilting going on as well - plenty of scrappy crazy colorful quilting.

I agree that the block you are concerned about is a bit off from the hues of the others. However, my advice would be to continue on and make a decision after you have completed all of the blocks. If it still bothers you, remake the block. Sometimes a variant hue adds an unexpected interest. I am looking forward to top down fun in the Mini Cooper on sunny fall afternoons.

I love Autumn it is my favourite time of the year. The warm days fade into cooler evenings and sometimes we even light the wood fire - yum. There are no fears of bush fires now the the hot blustery winds have abated, the cool rains start to fill the water tanks and lawn slowly stops growing. I find my warmer clothes and hunker over my sewing machine and computer without feeling a hint of guilt. Dreamy days, cooler evenings, misty mornings and peace. Enjoy your fall with all the glorious colours of a northern hemisphere deciduous season.

"How many of you would stand up in front of a bunch of quilters and parade all your quilting mistakes? Well, Beth does it with flair!" (Perfection is Overrated Lecture review, Merrimack Valley Quilters, MA)

"A member called me today to tell me you had 'freed her'!" (Jeanne G., President, First Dutchess Quilters, NY)

Obviously I love to quilt and design or I wouldn't officially be EPQD. But a close second love is taking the show on the road with one of my three available lectures, "Perfection is Overrated", "Plays Well With Others", and "Give it a Scrap Slap." Through each in turn I attempt to free the quilting world from the oppression of the Quilt Police, share how adding more quilters to your project enhances the final product, or encourage quilters to step over the fabric line and see that more fabrics and scraps make your quilts sing. All lectures are one hour, contain lots of quilts, and are delivered in my signature irreverent style that reminds us all not to take ourselves too seriously. Lectures available to all guilds and shops in the USA. Check my current schedule by clicking on the Schedule pagein the navigation bar at the top of this blog's home page.